Tell me about aircraft tyres

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For all aircraft related questions see the All about Aircraft section.

Tell me about aircraft tyres

An aircraft tire is designed to carry same load as an earthmover while running at the speed of a Formula 1 racer!! On take-off, for a short period, it has to resist a speed of around 360 kph while carrying a weight that sometimes exceeds 30 tonnes per tire.

The temperature variations are just as extreme. At the end of a landing, its temperature may exceed 100 °C whereas, shortly before, in the hold, it was at a temperature of –45°

Some vehicle tyres use man-made rubber but for the toughest kinds of tyre only natural rubber will do. Aircraft tyres have to take tremendous punishment during landings and take-offs. They get very hot, hotter than boiling water, and natural rubber is always used to stand up to these conditions.

Here’s a good site on aircraft tires, from Watts Aviation